I painted some more dolls. Experimenting with different tones and styles of painting. Finding my own style.
We're in Rome for a few more hours and then we're heading to the coast with these beauties. I'll see you there.
Hey guys! Remember this doll when it was still unfinished? She is coming as a part of my traveling porcelain collection to my upcoming shows in Italy and Estonia this fall. Oh, and by the way, I have a show in Tallinn, Estonia one week after Italy. Surprise! Totally forgot to tell you, but it's going to be awesome. It's called Shocking Art of Dolls, and it will take place at Estonian Doll Art house, in the oldest building in Tallinn! I'll post more info about it soon.
If I have any resin dolls left over from Italy, then they will be made available to buy at the Shocking Art of Dolls in Tallinn. Also, I've been putting the resin wait list together going back to 2010. Those of you who are on it, will be getting an email within 24 hours to inquire if you wish to remain or get taken off. This wait list will go in effect in December and production will begin in January 2013.My production capacity is very small, only about 10-20 resin dolls a month max. I want to avoid mass-production and keep the quality and rarity of these dolls. At this point I have plans to produce resin for 1 year, and then either stop or keep going for another year or two, or many, depending on how I feel. I will evaluate the situation every 6 months.
Unfortunately, the rainy season in Vancouver had started this week and prevented me from completing as many resin dolls as I originally wanted to bring to the Pieceno Fashion doll convention. It's new and strange for me to have to rely on external factors, such as good weather, to be able to make dolls. There is no such a thing with the porcelain doll-making process. Vancouver is a pretty rainy city, so, I don't know how many more resin dolls I'll be able to make this winter. I'll have to paint then and put them away until sunny breaks, or something. I'm sure I will figure something out.
Stay tuned for pictures of the new resin dolls.
Hey guys! Just a little update from Russia, while I have a spare minute during breakfast.
I'm in Moscow right now, promoting my book and the new resin line of dolls, with Chad and my dad helping me at the show.
So, for the last three days I've been doing a lot of book signing, taking pictures with doll fans and chatting to them about my new resin line, giving TV and paper interviews and networking with other artists and event organizers. I finally met the Popovy sisters, and even bought my first artist teddy (who is actually an elephant)! With so much going on, I hardly had any time to breathe.
It's been really busy and exciting, and I want to thank the organizer Svetlana Pchelnikova for putting on this event, and of course everyone who came to the show. And a big, huge thanks for all the flowers, you guys! It means more to me than you know.
I am so happy to finally be able to present to you, the long-awaited line of Resin Enchanted Doll! The official launch is in Moscow, Russia on Oct 4-7th at the 8th annual Doll Salon exhibition, along with the launch of the Russian language edition of Enchanted Doll book! This is so exciting!
Also, a big Thanks for all your naming suggestions! So many pretty names. I chose Serafina. I couldn't pick just one though, so I made a short list of my favorites and gave them to the 15 of the first resin dolls going to Russia tomorrow.
Being new at painting resin dolls, I was learning a lot. To experiment with different painting techniques and features, I painted each doll face a little bit differently; tweaking eyebrows, changing eye shapes and playing with boundaries of lips to find the essence of Enchanted Dolls in resin. These dolls are all prototypes from which I will be painting in the future.
After the shows in Russia and Italy, Resin line wait list will go in effect, and those of you who've been on it, will be given priority to order a resin doll.
So, what do you guys think? Any favorites?
Wow, you guys. Thanks for all the awesome name suggestions. I'm making a short list of my favorites. Here's a picture of some 14k gold-plated shoes I'm making for the Doll Salon expo in Moscow next week.
I'm getting on the plane in 48 hours, and there is still so much to do....
I'm running a bit late with the photo shoot of the first resin dolls, but it should wrap up tomorrow.In the meantime, help me name this pretty doll. I'd love to hear your suggestions on what she should be called.
And tiny eyelashes!
At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to give my resin dolls glass eyes, but once I found the right kind of eyes, I was won over. This in turn, allowed me to give these dolls real eyelashes, something I've always wanted to do, but was unable to due to the shallow surface area of porcelain eyelids. The eyes are tacked on with a sticky gum inside, which means they can be changed fairly easily. The head cap is magnetic and the head is removable from the rest of the body. The doll is strung up with elastic and it articulates and holds poses very well. I am very happy with the quality of resin and the soft, satin glow of the skin.
Tomorrow I'll shoot all my newly painted resin dolls and show you all of it!
My set up is a lot different than what I would use for painting porcelain dolls; instead of china paint, I've got acrylic paints and pencils. It's weird. I am able to replicated a similar, airbrushed effect though. Still getting into my groove.
They are blushed with water color pencil, while french manicure is done with acrylic paint and glossy varnish. More pics coming.
I made two different sets of hands for my resin dolls and decided to mix them up randomly, making 4 combinations. Even unpainted they look lovely.
Agh! My desk is full of tiny mummies! Oh, no wait. False alarm.It's just the long waited resin line of Enchanted Dolls.:)
Dear Friends, autumn is always a busy time for me. Art shows, fashion shows and doll shows tend to take place around this time and that's when I usually take Enchanted Doll on the road too. Right now I'm preparing for three events in three countries and have some really exciting news for you! Here is the scoop in a nutshell.
Speaking at the Emily Carry University of Art and Design, Vancouver BC, September 28th 2012
Using a compact and dynamic presentation format called Pecha-Kucha (chit-chat), I'll be giving a short (5 min) talk accompanied by 10 slides, along with 9 other Emily Carr alumni about my life and times as an artist since graduation. Anyone can attend this lecture, but you have to register here to reserve a spot. There will be some mingling and drinking afterwards. Come and see me and 9 others of my kind talk about ourselves!
International Doll Salon in Moscow, Russia, October 4-7th 2012
I've got two awesome things prepared for this event. First, I will be there in person to launch the first Russian-language edition of the Enchanted Doll art book! Awesome. Second, I will also be premiering a limited and experimental line of Resin Enchanted Dolls! Awesome, awesome. Only 20 resin dolls will be available at this convention. Also for the first time along with the dolls, I'll be bringing my collection of Enchanted Doll jewelery, such as lanterns, hand and face pendants etc, with me as well. Come and see me and my new projects! More info coming soon.
Pieceno Fashion Doll Convention in San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy, October 26-28th 2012
I feel very honored to have been invited as special guest to show my traveling porcelain collection at the new Pieceno fashion doll convention in Italy! And as a special treat to my Italian collectors, I will be premiering twenty Resin dolls there too! Alongside with Enchanted Doll jewelery and souvenirs. Come and see me and my dolls there!
Although it's going to be a jam-packed autumn, I am very excited about being a part of these events, as they represent a fulfillment of long time goals, dreams and projects.
Stand by for more info.
Day four has come and gone, and so the shoot has concluded. It was a very fun and challenging four days, as well as very inspirational as I learned a lot about what goes into a professional photoshoot. I had a great time working with the photographer Lacey.
The talented film-maker Benjamin Taft is in NYC with us, as he is working on a longterm project of filming a documentary about Enchanted Dolls (!!!!!). The NYC photoshoot will be a part of the film, and as a special treat he has already put together a short teaser video showing a bit of what went down in the studio. Click here to view it on Vimeo.
This is how our week has gone, spend the day in the studio, spend the night sightseeing in New York City. It has been such a blur at times, the overwhelming photography sessions followed by wandering around the overwhelming cityscape of NY. Both aspects have been so exciting and inspiring.
Day two of the photoshoot featured The Weight of Light. It's so refreshing to work with a team on a photoshoot, I'm learning so much. Sorry for the low quality iphone shot, but I'll have some awesome things to share soon.Also, a reminder that the eBay auction for the Rubenesque Enchanted Doll, Salome, ends tomorrow!
Day one of the photoshoot in New York for Vogue. I'm so jealous of all the studio photography equipment, so many different lights and stands and backdrops and the space, oh so much space. This is going to be so much fun!I'll try to post more behind the scenes photos as we go.
Salome is up for sale on eBay starting RIGHT NOW! The auction will last for 7 days. Click here for the auction page.
Here's the description from the listing:
Salome is a doll â„–2 in my Rubenesque body type series. I, Marina Bychkova, am the creator of this doll.
1.Sculpted with 18 points of articulation
2.Cast in fine porcelain
3.Painted and blushed with permanent, ceramic china paint
4.Strung up with 11 steel springs
5.Stands 14.5†(37.5cm) tall
6.Enchanted Doll™ Salome is sold with a floral tiara of sterling silver and mother of pearls, 2 magnetic mohair wigs (red and blonde) and a flexible custom stand. Any other accessories seen in the pictures are for composition only and are not included in the auction.
Like all Enchanted Dollsâ„¢, Salome is built for playing. Leather lines her joints for smooth and even rotation while the unique jointing mechanism allows for a wide range of natural and sensual movements and poses. Her silky porcelain complexion and intricate china-painted features are completely resistant to UV radiation, scratches, cleaning chemicals, moisture, or dirt from extensive handling.
About your Enchanted Dollâ„¢
Due to the remarkable nature of fine porcelain, all Enchanted Dolls share strength and resiliency and require very little maintenance. However, a reasonable degree of care must be taken in handling any and all porcelain objects gently to prevent impact with hard surfaces, which may result in a fracture. Always use the doll stand for safety and support when standing this doll. Due to the aesthetically small feet in relation to the rest of the body, Enchanted Dolls don’t balance well.
The surface of the doll can be safely washed repeatedly, but it should never be submerged in water so that the spring mechanism stays dry. If the water does get inside the doll don’t let it sit, blow-dry its joints as soon as possible.
Should the doll suffer a fracture in the fingers or extremities through an unfortunate accident, I offer a free repair policy for up to five separate parts (head not included), where the owner is only responsible for the shipping charges. As long as you handle your doll with reasonable gentleness, you are likely to never need my repair services. This doll will be your companion for many years to come.
Please feel free to ask me any questions about this doll or this auction. Thanks for looking and Happy Bidding!
This composition was put together exclusively for a photograph. These accessories belong to me and will not be included in the auction. The idea came to me spontaneously while shooting the lovely nude Salome. When I momentarily looked away from the camera to stretch my back, my eyesight slid distractedly across some loose doll heads on my desk and then instantly shot back to them, this time focused and alert, as a light bulb went off in my head. I thought: "Ah, but of course. So obvious!
"The lantern crown is the third installment in my ongoing Light Series. I made it as an experiment 2 months ago but didn't have time to make a doll to wear it, so it sat in the drawer as if it was waiting for Salome. I think it works really well aesthetically and contextually, because for all we know, real Salome could have actually performed the traditional Middle Eastern Candelabra dance for King Herod.
It is a very heavy piece, borderline hazardous to the doll unless its center of gravity is perfectly balanced and that's why it's staying in my collection. Having said this, if somebody were just dying to have this piece for their doll to wear on display, I might be able to replicate it again.
Salome's tears were made for the photograph with quick drying jewelery glue. I dripped it on her face and then flaked it off after the shoot. It doesn't bond permanently to porcelain. I'm not sure why I made her cry. Felt right. So did putting electrical wires into the severed (originally John the Baptist's ) head. Make of it whatever you will.
Perhaps my Salome is a specter of the past and the future both, as the history always repeats itself.
Well, there you go folks. The auction starts tomorrow afternoon. See ya there.
I initially designed this pair of shoes for my Little Red riding hood doll. They are cast in sterling silver and plated with 14k gold. It's a combination of my favorite two styles of shoes: Kitten heels and Mary Janes, and so far, is the simplest, least ornate pair of shoes I've made. I was struggling with a very strong urge to decorate the heck out of them. Minimalism doesn't come naturally to me.
The light, shallow design was inspired by a drawing of my favorite artist Sulamith Wulfing. Here is a crop.
This pair fits both, the original foot and the slightly more elongated, Rubenesque foot. Which reminds me to remind you about the upcoming (Aug 23rd) ebay auction of Rubenesque doll â„–2-Salome, who is seen here strutting in a pair of Extravagance stilettos. They also fit a Rubenesque foot.So, do you like the new simple shoes, or are they a bit too plain?
Sorry about the delay, but the auction is going ahead later this week, on Thursday, Aug 23rd. In the meantime, check out more pictures. Blond wig will also be included in the auction, along with the floral tiara. Stay tuned for more pictures tomorrow!
